Press Release

San Francisco, CA, January 31, 2013 …The Anti-Defamation League condemned San Francisco 49er Chris Culliver’s deeply offensive anti-gay remarks offered during a radio interview in the lead up to the Super Bowl. ADL welcomed the 49ers organization’s swift condemnation of the bigoted sentiments and was encouraged that Culliver subsequently disavowed his statements. We encourage him to follow up on his apology by learning more about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and by speaking out in support of diversity and acceptance.

Seth Brysk, ADL’s Central Pacific Regional Director based in San Francisco issued the following statement:

The Anti-Defamation League strongly objects to Chris Culliver’s intolerant statements. There should be no room for expressions of anti-gay bias, or any other form of bigotry, in the National Football League. We welcome both the San Francisco 49ers’ swift rejection of his remarks as not reflecting the team’s values and Culliver’s subsequent apology. If Culliver wants to learn from this experience he will need to follow up his words with deeds, augmented by supporting action on the part of the NFL and its teams.

Notably, the 49ers have been a leader in advocating the acceptance of LGBT individuals as the first NFL team to film an “It Gets Better” video which confronts LGBT bullying. ADL calls on the NFL to further educate its players and personnel on issues of bias and bigotry in all its forms and would welcome a partnership to share our educational expertise in this regard.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.